I think the industry has a high regard for academia, so it is definitely not career suicide to do it. Having said that, why don't you find an academically-oriented research quant job at an ibank?

what is a "academically-oriented research quant job at an ibank"?

QuoteI think the industry has a high regard for academiaHmm, conditionally (insofar as I can speak for 'the industry'). There's some very competent people there and a lot of completely useless onesDoing what you suggest certainly paints a picture of someone who doesn't know what he wants - 'I consider getting a quant job for immigration reasons and I consider getting another if I fail in what I really want to do'. With that kind of attitude, you're in danger of dooming yourself to mediocrity as a quant form the start. I'm sure some smaller place would hire you anyway, given your prior experience - but it would be a fairly boring quant job with little upside.In any case, if I was you I'd get a quant job now just to see what it's like - you might find you don't miss academe nearly as much as you thought you would. Personally, I find it immensely more fun in the industry that academe ever was.

Thank you for your comments.

QuoteOriginally posted by: UVAstudentwhat is a "academically-oriented research quant job at an ibank"?I think Goldman's differential geometry desk would be very interested in alex2007.

QuoteOriginally posted by: alex2007QuoteI think Goldman's differential geometry desk would be very interested in alex2007.What the hell does that mean : a differential geometry desk? Do they sell curvature tensors?I think Pannini was joking about the desk, but speaking of curvature tensors, everyone's buying and selling them, not just Goldman